Anna looked out the window. It had been so long since she's ever being home. Looking outside the window, she found snow and lots of it. The trees seemed to be decorated with the white frosty things and there was nothing more beautiful than that. Everything looked like a Christmas card. There were lights dangling from here and there, lanterns hung up to celebrate the new year and even a couple of Christmas tress around. It seemed so beautiful. The town never looked more festive than it did around winter, with the mountain tops in the distance capped with snow and the jocund spirits of people floated around. Anna loved it. She couldn't have thought the town to look anymore beautiful nor for the people to look anymore effervescent. She was truly home.
The train slowly pulled into the station, crunching the salted tracks and Anna had a full view of the station from her seat. There were people with newspapers and some carrying little children dressed with winter coats and scarves and hats. There were a couple of kids running around the station, throwing snowballs at each other. The conductor blew the final whistle that said they were there. Anna gathered her stuff with a shaking hand. When she saw that she was quivering all over, she scolded herself. True, she was nervous but she was still an Itako and there was nothing that would cause her to shake. She was strong and able and in no need to be nervous at seeing people. But yet, she couldn't stop herself from shaking. She couldn't stop her lips from quivering, not from the cold but from being so nervous. Taking her little bag, Anna followed the line of people, inconspicuous in her normal black dress with a black coat over it. She looked to be one ready to jump out into the world.
Anna took a step off the train and stood on firm ground once again. Looking around and breathing the scent of snow and cold air and the smell of pines, she felt safe. Suddenly, a soft flake fell on the very tip of her nose. It had begun to snow.
Yoh started to decorate the tree that he had just bought with last years' decorations. The inn was bustling with people, coming in and going out. Yoh could see a group of little kids having a snowball fight outside of the window in the front lawn. A couple was snuggling next to the fire. Some were drinking hot chocolate while others were wiping their wet boots and such on the doormat. Yoh agreed that the inn looked the best during the winter, with the snow already piled up outside and the warm air of the inn compared to the harshness of the outside world. Somehow, it just made him feel happy to be home.
"Can you believe what a state the Nishido family left their rooms in?" asked Pirika as she passed Yoh decorating the tree with little bits of ornaments. Yoh flashed her a smile and shook his head.
"They completely trashed the place with water and snow and ice. It's horrible! Their little kids used up all the towels and now I have to run all the way to the Laundromat down the street because that idiot boyfriend of mine blew ours up last week. Can things get any worse?" Pirika gave a huge sigh and walked off without hearing an answer. However, Yoh disagreed. Things were wonderful.
Winter had that effect on him, making every little thing feel so much better than they did any time of the year. Everything was so beautiful and it felt as if the world was clean. The mighty Great Spirit had washed all the bad out of the world and it was covered with a clean white blanket. That's how Yoh felt about the world. Looking outside, Yoh found that little flakes had started to fall. He smiled. It had begun to snow.
The door slammed open and Hao walked in with his big arrogant stride, his face flushed from the cold.
"My my my, what a charming little place you got here!" he announced to the room. Tamao looked at him and then to the scared customers. She quickly apologized and carried on with business, giving Hao the meanest look she could possibly give him… which isn't much.
"Hao!" Yoh went over and gave his dear old brother a hug. Yoh found him to be exceptionally skinnier than when he had left him a year ago.
After the brother's loving hug, Yoh hurried Hao over to the fire and told him to warm up.
"Can you believe it Yoh? There's so much snow this year! You know how I love snow," Hao was happy to be back at the inn. He had been traveling for the last year in the North, near Russia. Although he had seen much snow, he still found that the snow of Japan and the town seemed so much more inviting than the harsh snow of the North.
"I know. So how was the trip?" Yoh asked enthusiastically.
"Wonderful! Couldn't have been better except if that whale hadn't been there and if I hadn't been kidnapped and if I hadn't fallen down that hole but never the less, wonderful," and so the brothers caught up with each other.
Yoh told Hao more about being shaman king and about the inn. It had now been expanded so that more and more guests could live there. Apparently, business at the inn couldn't have been better. Everything in Yoh's life seemed to be mostly perfect. His friends were around him and he was rich and he was young. He had his whole life ahead of him.
"Hao!" and in came Ren and Horohoro along with Manta. Both slapped him on the back and asked questions about his trips and such. Everything seemed like the holidays again. Everyone was back together and there was snow. Yoh smiled at the scene before him. Home. Friends. Family. It was certainly a good life.
Anna walked through the familiar streets, looking at everything and actually smiling once in a while. The snow was coming down in little flutters, with children running around and adults shopping for presents.
Anna turned around the corner and smelled the fresh air of winter. Anna didn't know why she was back here. It was as if she was pulled there by some random event. She had just bought a ticket, packed her stuff and took the train back home. She didn't know why. It had something to do with the snow, she was sure. She had seen the first snow fall and had rushed home to pack. Anna felt stupid, like one of those girls who does things on impulse and just goes. It wasn't like her at all. She didn't even plan it out. She just went.
Now that she was here, she had nowhere to go. She had walked through the streets, looking at people and the decorations and stores and not really seeing any of it. All she could think about was the fact that Yoh and everybody else was just a couple of blocks away, doing whatever it was that they were doing. A part of Anna wanted to run far far away from that place. Another part of her wanted to run to it.
Anna was stuck, with nowhere to go. She didn't know which part of her to follow. Somehow, she didn't want to follow either. And so she wandered, letting her feet lead her to wherever it wanted to go. She felt lost, like a little bird flying and flying in the sky. She flew, but there was no destination.
Finally, Anna found herself in the park. It was the one she and Yoh and Manta used to go, before the whole shaman tournament thing. The park was covered in snow, a deep white blanket. No one was there. Everyone was at home, with friends and family. Looking around, Anna found the bench they usually sat it. And so, she walked over there and sat. Soon, she was covered with a light layer of snow. That was what she wanted to do… to fade away into the scenery.
"YOH!" the scream came from the kitchen, where Ryu was cooking up something very delicious.
When Yoh entered, hundreds of different smells filled him. There were the smells of every food that there ever was. Hundreds of platters of food piled upon the other. Everyone was in the dining room or the living room, setting up the plates or chatting. The guests had all gone to bed and finally, Yoh and his friends could have the get-together they had wanted. There was much to be discussed, such as Tamao and Horohoro's up coming wedding along with Ryu's success of opening his own 5 star restaurant and the fact that Hao had come back. There were many toasts to be made and much food to be consumed. Everyone was quite happy.
"Yes Ryu?" Yoh said. The cook was overly nervous at the fact that cooking the whole meal was upon his shoulders and his shoulders only.
"I'm out of eggs! Go to the supermarket and get some eggs! NOW!" the cook's orders were screamed and he seemed to be frantic. Yoh nodded his head and ran out, before Ryu could through any pans at him… or worse, knives.
So Yoh put on his scarf and his coat and his hat. He opened the door to the cold. The once fluttery flakes turned into big flakes falling fast. Yoh ran to the store. The weather was cold and he almost couldn't feel his hands without gloves. After standing on line for about twenty minutes since there were many other people who seemed to have run out of food, he started home. When Yoh passed the park, a sudden thought of Anna flashed through his mind. He had often went there with Anna and Manta and it was no wonder that he had thought of her.
Looking at the park and its untouched beauty, he decided that he should take a stroll through it. After all, it was a shortcut to home. And so, he wandered through the paths of the park, looking up at the wonderful trees hung with white snow. When Yoh passed the bench he and Anna used to sit on, he looked at it fondly. It was covered with snow. Suddenly, Yoh thought he saw something black under there. In the dim streetlights, he definitely knew that there was someone under that layer of snow, probably some homeless guy or such. Yoh went over and brushed aside the snow. Suddenly, Ryu's eggs ended up on the floor with a loud smash that said they were definitely not going to end up in his famous sauce.
But Yoh didn't care. There… under that snow… was Anna. Her face was flushed red, her eyes closed with snow at her eyelashes. She looked magical. Yoh stared and stared. He couldn't believe his eyes that it was she. Then, he realized that she might be dead. Suddenly, he took her in his arms and knew that she was very cold. Taking off his coat, he draped it around her.
"Please don't be dead. Please Anna. Please," he muttered to her. He wrapped the coat around her and hugged her to him, using his own body warmth to warm her. She felt very cold but it felt so good to have her next to him.
Suddenly, a slow groan stirred and Yoh thanked the Great Spirit that she wasn't dead.
"Yoh?" came her voice, so soft and light.
"Yeah Anna. I'm here. Don't worry," he muttered into her ear, still wrapping his arms around her.
"I came back. I decided. I'm coming back. I'm staying with you. I promise," she muttered as she felt the warmth run through her again from her toes to the tips of her ears. Just having said it made her feel warm again. She was back in his arms, she was back with him, and she was back to where she wanted to be. After thinking for so long in the snow and finally seeing him and being with him, she realized how much she had missed him, how much she had longed to see him. And now, there he was. Anna felt tears rolling down her cheek but she didn't care. She was there with him.
"I know Anna. I know," he said softly.
And so, they stayed there, hugging each other as the snow fell. Yet no matter the temperature, both felt blissfully warm just standing there with each other. They were together again and that was all that counted.
Snow. It meant the start of something new. As it gathered and cleaned the world with its beautiful white blanket, the best part of life was when it melted away and left something better, something new. And that was a new future. A new chance. And a new change in life.
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Hello everyone! You have no idea how good it is to write again. I had to do the epilogue... well because there were so many demands for it and I dont really think i could do the sequel. Yeah i know... what took me so long. Well I am kind of caught up in life and i havent found the time to write at all. But I think I had to do this... because it was my first story and I felt that i really did need to give it the happily ever after ending it really deserved. And so... here it is. Thank you all for reading this little epilogue so many weeks and months after but i still love all of you. You were wonderful for reading and reviewing. Thanks.
Lale the assassin... forever and ever